


I'm Always Betting On You

by Racebox_of_Higgars



Series: Snapshots Of Life [2]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Autumn, Dates, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Soft Spot Conlon, Songfic, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, its so soft, proposal, self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:14:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Racebox_of_Higgars/pseuds/Racebox_of_Higgars
Summary: Spot and Race have been dating for years, it's about time they made 'forever' official.The proposal oneshot no one asked for.
Relationships: Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Series: Snapshots Of Life [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2162796
Comments: 12
Kudos: 15





	I'm Always Betting On You

**Author's Note:**

> This is pure self-indulgent fluff for Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

“Where are we going?” Race asked for the millionth time, wiggling slightly in the passenger seat. Spot gave him the same response he had given every other time.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“Spottyyyyy,” Race whined, pouting slightly.

“Good things come to those who wait, Racer.” Race groaned, leaning back against the headrest.

“You know I’m an impatient fuck.”

“I know, but I’m not gonna tell ya. You’ll find out soon anyway.” Spot smiled to himself, shaking his head slightly, drumming his fingers on the wheel.

“Are we nearly there?”

“Yeah.”

The rest of the journey passed in relative silence, save for the radio blasting showtunes, at Race’s request. Race gazed out of the window, watching the flurries of trees, sky, and open road pass them by. They had been driving for an hour now, and Race still had no idea where Spot was taking them, or why. He had just woken Race up that morning and told him to get dressed, that they were going out, then 20 minutes later they were in the car, going who knows where.

Spot drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to keep his nerves at bay. The ring box in his pocket felt like it was made of lead. God, he had been waiting for this day for months, he couldn’t quite believe it was finally happening. They had spoken about marriage before, as most couples that make it past a year do, but they hadn’t talked about when, or even the possibility of a proposal. Race had talked about his dream proposal, of course, and Spot had based many aspects of today on that conversation. He wanted this to be perfect for Race.

Spot parked the car, getting out and opening the passenger side door for Race, interlocking their fingers. Race looked around in wonder, taking in the woods that stretched for acres around them. Birds sang in the towering redwood and cedar trees surrounding them, and in the distance a stream flowed over rocks, glistening under the early autumn sun. The leaves were just starting to turn golden and crisp, and it was just warm enough to get by comfortably without a coat, instead they just wore thick hoodies (Race definitely hadn’t stolen the one he was wearing from Spot).

Race looked around in wonder, taking in everything around them. Golden light filtered through the trees, creating small patches of sun amongst the shade. Spot reached into the trunk of the car, pulling out a- was that a fucking wicker basket? It was safe to say that Race was even more confused than he was before.

“Why are we here?” Race asked, linking his fingers with Spot’s.

“I thought it’d be fun.” Race hummed in response as they walked next to the stream, listening to it rush over the rocks, crystal clear and crisp. Each step they took was accompanied by the sound of golden autumn leaves crunching underfoot. They swung their hands between them, not talking. A comfortable silence stretched between them as they both took in the serenity around them. They were the only people for acres, and it felt almost like they were teenagers again, sneaking out and wandering through any spot of nature they could find in the middle of the night, giggling and sharing secrets and stolen kisses, shrouded by darkness.

Everything felt so easy when they were alone like this. It almost felt like they weren’t adults with responsibilities, and in that moment they were 14 and young and stupid again. They had nothing else to worry about, and they could just exist in each other's presence. They could be silly and honest and so unbelievably _them_ in a way that they couldn’t be anywhere else or with anyone else. They brought out the truth in one another, drawing out real personalities hidden by masks of anger or nonchalance, and they had no need to hide anymore. Here, they could see each other for exactly what they were, their whole souls laid bare, flaws and all, and they loved. They loved wholly and unapologetically, and they felt like home.

Race was Spot’s home. With Race, Spot was safe to be completely and totally himself, no parts of himself hidden. He could drop the mask of anger with Race, and just let himself feel everything as it was, with no fear of judgement. Race was so open and honest around Spot, that he encouraged Spot to be that way too. Race was Spot’s happy place. Being here, in the woods, alone with Race, Spot knew he had made the right decision with this. Race was his entire world, and if he didn’t get to show the entire world that he thought he might explode. He wanted to scream it from the rooftops that Race was his, but first he needed him to say yes.

They came to a slow stop in a small clearing, the sun shining down on them. Spot lead the way into the centre, setting down a red and white picnic blanket and God this seemed like something out of a movie. Spot set the basket in the centre and sat on the blanket, gesturing for Race to join him. He did, tilting his head slightly at Spot as he took Tupperware boxes of food out. Race’s eyes glanced over the boxes, landing on one he vaguely recognised.

“Is that-?” He started, but Spot interrupted.

“Your pasta recipe? Yup. I watched you cook it about 6 times and made mental notes, which I wrote down, then I attempted it myself. It’s probably not gonna be anywhere near as good as yours, but hopefully it doesn’t poison us.” Race grinned. Spot had paid attention to him, worked out what he liked and how to make it, just by watching Race, then replicated it. It was a small gesture, but it made Race happy nonetheless.

Spot set plates out, then put the pasta on the plates, handing one to Race. Race looked at him inquisitively. What was going on?

“So, what is this?” He asked.

“Am I not allowed to take my boyfriend on a date?” Spot countered, eyebrow raised.

“Well, yeah, but normally there’s a reason.” Since they both worked long hours, they didn’t have much time to go out like this anymore, and they only did on special occasions. They much preferred to stay at home, curl up on the couch and watch a movie or play Mario Kart (Race was still undefeated) with takeout, or Race would cook. That suited them just fine. They didn’t need fancy restaurants or making out in the back of a movie theatre just to prove their love for one another, they were happy to just stay home and simply exist together. It was disgustingly domestic, and they loved it.

“The reason is I love my boyfriend and want to treat him while we both have a day off.” Race couldn’t help but smile at that, but somehow he still felt like there was something more to this, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

Spot reached for his phone, tapping around before soft, romantic music began playing quietly. Okay, something was definitely up, there would be no reason for Spot to be doing all of this if he didn’t have something planned. For god’s sake, he’d made a playlist. This absolutely wasn’t the kind of music Spot would normally listen to and if Race wasn’t confused before he certainly was now. 

They ate in relative silence, save for the music, but that didn’t bother them. They didn’t need to talk all the time, and often they savoured the silences more than conversation. Those silences said everything that they couldn’t vocalise. Those silences spoke of the safety they had with each other; safety they could never find anywhere else. They sang of love and the feeling of home. For them, home wasn’t their apartment, or anywhere else for that matter, home was each other. Those silences were long and easy, and just being with one another was easy. They could simply exist in one another's presence and allow themselves to completely let their guards down when they couldn’t with anyone else, and that said more than any words could. 

As they set their plates down and made eye contact. Spot leaned across the blanket slightly, pulling Race against him. Race happily scooted over, curling up so he fit snugly in Spot’s arms. The song changed, and Race’s face split into a grin as the opening to Lottery by Jade Bird played from Spot’s speaker. Years ago, when they’d first gotten together they had dubbed it Their Song. Back then, Race had enjoyed the lottery a little _too_ much, and while he had since gotten that problem under control, it still felt like it was _them._

There were so many ways their lives could have gone differently, and they never could have met, or they never would have ended up together. Yet somehow they had both played their cards exactly right, the dice had fallen perfectly, and Race had accidentally set Spot on fire in that Chemistry class and they’d become fast friends from there. It took a few years after that for their relationship to blossom, but it was better late than never. It was pure chance, but neither of them would ever stop thanking their lucky stars for it. 

“Dance with me?” Spot asked, pressing a kiss to the top of Race’s head. Race sat up, getting to his feet and holding his hand out to Spot, who took it. Race wrapped his arms loosely around Spot’s neck, and Spot’s hands found his hips. They swayed in slow circles to the music. It couldn’t really be called dancing, but it was perfect either way. 

_We spent five talking about our lives_

_But we’d talked like that a thousand times_

_And I’m bored of that_

After they got together, they both laughed about how long it took for one of them to muster up the courage to ask the other out, but at the time it was painful. They’d spend hours, days, dodging the subject, even though they both knew about the other’s feelings. They’d danced around each other so much, it was funny to look back on now, but at the time it was agony. 

Behind them, the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, setting the sky on fire with a painting of reds, orange, yellow, purple, and gold, forming a golden halo around their silhouettes. Encased in a wreath of trees, in the alternate reality that always seems to form at dusk, they were completely and totally alone. Spot rested his head against Race’s chest, listening to his heartbeat to ground him. 

It was almost time. 

_I’ll tell you about a guy  
That I’ve been with _

_He says_

_“I’m a jealous man,_

_And I don’t want to talk about that”_

Spot had been jealous of Race’s many hook ups when they’d been in high school. He knew now that he had no reason to be, but at the time it poisoned him. He was over it now, but god, he had been so tired of hearing about each one, not that he ever said that to Race. But that was in the past now, it didn’t matter anymore. 

Heart pounding against his ribcage, Spot desperately tried to calm his nerves. The ring was heavy in his pocket. This was it. He couldn’t fuck this up now. 

_You used to tell me that_

_Love is a lottery_

_But you got your numbers_

_And you’re betting on me_

_Are you still betting on me?_

Here goes nothing. Or everything. 

Spot gently pulled back from Race, locking eyes with him. Every possible outcome flashed through his mind. A million yeses, but a million no’s too. Looking into Race’s eyes though, he knew he had no choice but to just ask. Race was his home, his happy place, and he wanted to wake up beside him every day for the rest of his life. He loved Race then, and he would keep loving Race until the day he died. He wanted this, the two of them, together, for the rest of his life. 

“I’ll always be betting on you, Tony,” Spot said. Race’s brow furrowed in confusion. Spot held a hand out to Race. “Take my hand.” 

“Why?” 

“I’m trying to ask you to marry me, so take my damn hand!” Well, that wasn’t part of the plan. 

Race’s hand flew to his mouth, tears welling in his eyes. Even behind his hand, Spot could still see his smile.

“Spot-” 

“Not yet, I wanna say my bit,” Spot took Race’s hand in his. “Tony, you’ve been the one constant in my life. Everyone else, they come and go, but you’re the one person who’s always been there. You keep me grounded. You are everything to me, Tony, and I’m gonna love you as long as you’ll let me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll let me. I love you, and I want the whole world to know that. So,” he got down onto one knee, pulling the ring box from his pocket, and opened it, “Tony, will you marry me?” 

Silence. 

Spot waited with bated breath for Tony to answer. 

A broken sob slipped past Tony’s lips, and tears streamed down his face, but he was grinning. 

“Yes! Yes,” he said breathlessly. 

“Wait, really?” Spot asked, not quite processing it. 

“Yes! Did you really think it would be anything but yes?” 

“I don’t know, I-” Race cut him off by pulling Spot to his feet and bringing him into a bruising kiss. Spot’s hands automatically found Race’s hair, and Race’s arms wrapped around Spot’s waist. 

Slowly, they pulled apart to breathe, both of them with tears staining their cheeks. Spot took the ring out of the box with a trembling hand and slid it onto Race’s finger. Race took a moment to admire the silver band. It wasn’t anything too fancy, a thick silver band with sections either side of the stone cut out. It was simple, and understated, but still unique, and perfect for Race. 

Race pulled Spot into a fierce hug, burying his face in Spot’s shoulder. Spot automatically wrapped his arms around Race, holding his boyfriend, no, _fiancé,_ tightly against him. He frowned when he felt Race crying. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, running a hand through Race’s hair. 

“Nothing,” Race said through his tears. “I just- I love you so damn much, Spot.” Race pulled back slightly, wiping his eyes on the end of his sleeve. “I never thought I’d be able to have something like this and I just-” he cut himself off, furiously blinking back his tears. “Are you sure about this?” Spot took both of Race’s hands in his, locking eyes with him. 

“Racer, you’re my world. I love you, and this, you are everything I’ve ever wanted and more. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re it for me.” Race smiled, wiping his tears away. 

“I’m never gonna stop betting on you, Racer.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I'm on tumblr at Racebox-of-Higgars if you want to scream about these boys or send me a request


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